Ominous warnings about California wildfire season

California enduring its driest year ever recorded

7:02 PM,
Aug. 21, 2013

The Rim Fire burns in the Stanislaus National Forest Tuesday.

Written by

Doyle Rice
USA TODAY

The wildfire raging near Yosemite National Park on Wednesday is just one of 11 major fires currently blazing in California, even before the bone-dry state enters the usual peak of the fire season in September and October.

"All season long we have been seeing more fires than normal due to the dry conditions," says CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant, "and that trend could continue as we enter the time period when we experience the largest and most damaging wildfires." CalFire is California's state fire agency.

The fire near Yosemite, known as the "Rim" fire, was only 5% contained as of Wednesday ...